GOP’s Ortman To Honor Endorsement In Senate Race

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Julianne Ortman says she will drop her bid to run against Democratic Sen. Al Franken if she doesn’t get the GOP endorsement.

Ortman says Thursday that the party’s U.S. Senate candidate will have to rely on the GOP leaders and activists who bestow the party’s endorsement at its state convention in May. She says the sooner the party can unite behind one candidate the better chance it will have to unseat Franken.

Businessman Mike McFadden has already said he’s likely to run in the August GOP party even if he doesn’t get the endorsement. Another Republican candidate, state Rep. Jim Abeler, also left open the possibility of a primary run. St. Louis County Commissioner Chris Dahlberg has also said he will honor the endorsement.